21745: Is it permissible for him to have intercourse with his wife in the bathroom?

What is the ruling on a man having intercourse with his wife in the bathroom? Some people take a bath with their wives and may become aroused. What is the answer?

Praise be to Allaah.

My brother, may Allaah help you to do that which is good and
make you satisfied with that which He has permitted you so that you will
have no need of that which He has forbidden. What you have mentioned in your
question may be answered by noting the following :

1 – The modern kinds of washrooms in modern houses such as
those in your country differ greatly from the places used in the past for
relieving oneself, which were places where dirt, filth and impurities
collected. Modern washrooms are not like that, rather they can be kept clean
and there is no impurity in them. Therefore they are not like the places
that people used for relieving themselves in the past, and there are obvious
differences between them. On this basis there is no real reason why one
should not fulfil one's sexual desire in such places when necessary, in the
manner that you mentioned.

2 – A man’s fulfilling his sexual desire with his wife may
often happen as the result of stimulation, by looking or touching etc. Hence
fulfilling his desire when it is provoked in such situations is a means of
keeping himself chaste and lowering his gaze [from looking at other women].
This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
taught us to do, according to the hadeeth narrated by Muslim (1403) from
Jaabir, who says that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) saw a woman and he came to his wife Zaynab, whilst she
was tanning a skin and preparing it for dyeing, and he fulfilled his need.
Then he went out to his companions and said: “Woman comes and goes in the
shape of a devil [i.e., she causes temptation], so if any one of you sees a
woman, let him go and have intercourse with his wife, for that will take
away what he feels in his heart.” This was also narrated by Ahmad, 19403;
Ibn Maajah, 1853. Ibn Hibbaan narrated in his Saheeh, 4171, that
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Awfa said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘No woman fulfils all her duties
towards Allaah until she fulfils all her duties towards her husband. If he
asks her [for his conjugal rights] even when she is on the back of a camel,
she should respond to him.’”

3 – At the same time, the Muslim should not forget, when his
desire is provoked, to bear in mind the intention of keeping chaste and of
enjoying that which is good and permissible. Then doing that will be an act
of charity and righteousness on his part, as the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “In the intimacy of any one of you
there is charity.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, if any one of us
fulfils his desire will there be reward for him in that?” He said, “Do you
not see that if he does it in a haraam way, that will be a sin on him? So if
he does it in a halaal way, he will be rewarded for that.” (Narrated by
Muslim, 1006, from the hadeeth of Abu Dharr). A man should also recite the
du’aa’ that was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) for this situation. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you wants to have
intercourse with his wife, let him say: ‘Bismillaah, Allaahumma jannibna
al-Shaytaana wa jannib al-Shaytaana ma razaqtana (In the name of Allaah,
O Allaah, keep the Shaytaan away from us and from that with which You may
bless us)’, then if it is decreed that they should have a child from that,
the Shaytaan will never be able to harm him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
6388; Muslim, 1434, from the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas).